Into the Woods
by RatherDashing
Summary: Charlie and Larry take a hiking trip thinking it to be the time of their lives, but before the fun can get started, problems arise. NOT slash!
1. Chapter One

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the characters used (besides the desk dude and the slut-chick ) Not my property, not my problem.

**Summary: **Charlie and Larry take a hiking trip thinking it to be the time of their lives, but before the fun can get started problems arise. NOT slash

Don WILL be in this.. but more so around the end. I don't want to blow any big surprises or anything, so you'll have to wait to find out. That is if I continue this. So... if you like Larry... and Charlie, then this is your one stop shop for... hiking and bees.

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It was a beautiful afternoon as Charlie stood up at a chalk board in the math department's lounge. A warm breeze blew in blowing some papers and carrying the faded sound of a lawn mower with it. He looked intently at the equation layed out in front of him and took a deep breath to enjoy the easy going day. Just 10 paces away, Larry sat engrossed in a book. His eyes shot from one side of it to the next in a level of reading that Charlie could only describe as "Larry-Level."

The younger man couldn't help but smile at the many expressions that passed through his friend's face at different parts of the book. He only realized he was watching him when Larry glanced up. There eyes locked and a comfortable silence shifted forward. That is until Charlie decided to make things interesting.

"Let's go for a hike." It wasn't a question and by the way Charlie said it, there was no answer.

"Well..." Larry began, placing a ringless finger into his book to keep his page and looking out the window.

"And I don't mean one of our normals hikes," Charlie continued, choosing to ignore Larry's hesative response. "I mean a big one. One where we may actually have to set up a camp."

The lawn mower in the distance faltered and then came to a complete stop, leaving an almost complete silence to drift through the room. If not for the fluttering paper and all-too-loud clock, the room would be silent.

"Come on! What do you say? Today is friday, that leaves us the whole weekend." Charlie said, leaping swiftly over a small coffee table and coming to a stumbling stop in front of the couch that Larry sat on.

"But the papers..." Larry said, trying to get out of another one of Charlie's ideas before it was too late. "

"The papers," The younger man said, letting a grin tug at his lips as he pulled Larry's book away playfully. "...Can wait." He finished and threw the book across the room.

"Charles," Larry said frowning. "My page."

"Oh you remember _exactly _what page you're on! Don't deny it." Charlie laughed, flopping down on the couch with Larry. "Now, we'll pack food and plenty of water," He continued as if never even being interupted. "And we'll travel far. We'll take a week off!"

"What?" Larry blurted out, noting that Charlie was definately crossing the line now.

"There're a lot of woods in Main," He whispered, ignoring Larry and causing the man to stand up in obvious distress.

"But the children; the teaching!" The older man said, throwing hands up.

"We deserve a vacation," Charlie countered, standing up also and crossing the room to erase the board. "I'm sure we can find two replacements, or I can get Amita to cover for me. She's more than qualified."

"I hardly call a week in the deepest-darkest woods with no comfort a vacation!" Larry whined, falling back onto the couch in a slumped position.

"It is if you want to be in tune with nature." Charlie beamed, brushing the chalk from his hands. "And besides, you make it sound like it will be hell."

"It won't?" Larry asked in disgust.

"Of course not!" Charlie called, packing his books. His relaxed demeaner showing in his voice. 

"Charles, I can barely live through our normal hikes." Larry said, watching him as he moved around the room to collect his things, the bright afternoon sun lighting the room.

"We can have a guide. I'm sure we can. They sell them I think..." Charlie said to himself, showing Larry that he had already made up his mind.

"Well, I see I don't have a say in this," Larry groaned, standing again, but this time to retrieve his book.

"Good! Then it is agreed. I'll talk it over with my dad and make arrangments." Charlie said excitedly. "Where're we going?" Larry sighed in defeat.

"Oregon. Lots of woods up there," He replied, pulling his bag onto his shoulder and heading for the door as Larry again sat down with his book.

"Kinda far for a hike?" He groaned but knew it was no use. "Alright, but I am leaving all of the preparations up to you. It was your idea afterall." The older man said, flipping through pages to find the one he was on.

"I won't let you down." Charlie chuckled and walked out in a better mood than ever. He'd have to talk it over with his dad, and maybe Don would come.

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"Oregon," Alan said thoughtfully as they sat at the dinner table. A heavy cloud of cigarette smoke hung in the air from Charlie's dad's newest girlfriend. She was awful, and Charlie made a note to tell his father that later.

"Yes, Oregon. I would ask Don, but I know he won't be able to go." Charlie said, playing around with his food. He would eat it but it tasted like stale cigarettes. Eating was out.

"Isn't it going to be dangerous? I mean, just you and Larry all the way up in there." Alan said and Charlie knew his dad didn't need to worry about him _and_ Don... so he lied. 

"No! Of course not. We're going to be going with a group of people. Two of which are professionals. We'll be fine." Charlie said, not regretting his decision to calm his father's nerves.

"Yeah, my second ex-husband went on one of those once. He said that his team mate person got eaten by a bear or something." The woman said, coughing and putting her cigarette out in her drink. Charlie wondered if she would remember it in a few minutes when she wanted a drink.

"A bear?" Alan asked, truely shaken. Great...

"No dad, the area we're going hiking is closed off to bears and other dangerous animals." Another lie.

During the whole of their conversation, Charlie decided not to tell Don. Afterall, his brother was busy with work, and he didn't want to be disturbed. Well, the truth was they'd gotten into a fight and neither of them was ready to apologize, so maybe this was best. It was taking the silent treartment to a whole new level. Before the night came to an end, Charlie had succesfully convinced himself that Don wouldn't even notice him missing. Boy was he wrong.

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It took the whole weekend to make all of the plans and they departed on monday. The drive was pretty long, but once they passed into Oregon, Charlie knew it was worth it. They pulled into a motel just as the sun fell over the hills. As soon as he opened the door, he was greeted with a frosty blast of cold air and shuddered. He got his bag and made sure their map was secured in it; then they made their way across the parking lot.

Their feet made a soft crunching noise in the freshly laid gavel and it was almost the only sound in the night. They entered the motel and stepped into the dimly lit lobby. Furnature that reminded Charlie of Larry's house was pushed around the room in random places. A strange stain worsened the already ugly pattern of the rug on the floor and a thin layer of dust had settled over every wooden surface.

An old man sat at the desk with his head bowed and his eyes closed. A long white beard fell from his face and his head was a shiny bald. He snored lightly, and Charlie was beginning to think they should've found another place to sleep. That is before the man's head lifted up and he started in surprise. Did they really get that little of customers?

"Can I help ya' boy?" He asked, trying to focus tired eyes on Charlie who assumed the man was visually impaired.

"Yes, two in fact." Charlie answered, holding up two fingers just in case. The man squinted at them and then back at Charlie.

"What ya' need to rooms fer?" He shouted, an angry tone to his voice. Charlie stepped back, and looked behind him to make sure Larry was still there, and to his surprise, the older man... was not.

"Would you excuse me for a moment?" He asked, putting on his best fake smile and exiting the motel with haste. Now that Charlie was a little more awake, he noticed his surroundings. Trees bigger than anything he'd ever seen stretched through the air, hiding the sky. The little holes through their leaves were filled with shinning stars. An "out of order" vending machine hummed from around the doors of the rooms and bugs chirped loudly.

He stepped onto the gravel and gazed around the parking lot, looking through the darkness for any sign of his friend. With a sigh he walked back in to get their keys and pay. He didn't have time to deal with this.

He stepped back into the cramped lobby and approached the desk clerk. He looked more grumpy, sucking on a mint and tapping his fingers impatiently. 

"Two rooms," Charlie repeated. "My friend is outside."

"Why dun ya' just share a room. They got more than one bed in 'em" The man said, spitting his mint onto the floor causing Charlie's mind to wander about how disgusting these rooms were going to be.

"I'm sure he would prefer privacy," Charlie retorted, trying not to let his frustration leak into his voice.

"Oh, suit yourself." He said, digging through a bin for some keys and Charlie marveled at how the man said it. He was paying for these rooms and the man was acting as if they'd been used to hide bodies and to have sex parties. Maybe they had been, he thought.

He retrieved the keys and payed the man for the one night they'd be staying. With that settled, he headed back out into the night air. This time it was much easier to find his friend for he was sitting on the back of the car, his feet dangling. Sometimes Larry reminded him of a kid; it was hard for him to actually believe Larry was older. He only went to him for advice when it was absolutely necessary and most of the time it was Larry that came to him. Besides, Charlie had Don for a brother. There weren't many things he couldn't talk to his brother about.

Charlie walked up to the car and hopped onto the back. He stared at Larry, waiting for the man to look at him and when he did, Charlie grinned.

"Leaving me with that guy? Was that your idea of being a good friend?" He said, but frowned when Larry didn't respond. "What's wrong?"

"I have a bad feeling about this," Larry whispered, his eyes staring at the hut of a motel. Charlie patted him roughly on the back and chuckled. 

"This is going to be the time of your life! I promise." He said, standing up and beginning to walk to the rooms. After a few feet he turned around and threw Larry's key to him.

"I'm driving tomorrow!" He called out, understanding his lack of license but not really caring. In the morning they'd set out.

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This is really just, well... crap. I have had this whole "Larry and Charlie's excellent adventure" thing planned out for a while and never really thought about posting. It would be at most 5 chapters long and filled with their encounters in the woods. Depending on the feedback, I may continue... but I'm not sure people will like the idea of not much Don.


	2. Chapter Two

Thank you all for the kind reviews!

**Disclaimer:** These characters are not mine… but Charlie is still hot.

I'm sorry for how lengthy and boring this chapter is guys! I assure you that I am just preparing for the action… I gotta get 'em lost first, you know? 

**Chapter Two**

They walked clumsily through dead leaves and old sticks. The night time crickets now replaced with the songs of various birds. Massive trees shot up into the sky with branches that didn't start popping out until half way up their trunks, provided shade for the men and for that, Charlie was grateful. Despite the cooler weather, he was sure they'd end up getting hot from their hike.

They had woken up and got some breakfast in a local diner, then with high spirits, headed out into the world for their adventure. They drove for hours down all sorts of dirt roads to ensure that they'd be alone and the outcome was wonderful. Not a soul was seen and that was exactly how Charlie wanted it. If this trip wasn't fun, it would at least be good exercise and provide some memorable conversations with his friend.

"Uh oh, I know that look. Don't you dare think of leaving me," Larry said, keeping an average pace through the thick foliage of the woods.

"What look?" Charlie asked, grinning at the older man.

"You know what look I am talking about and if you will just refrain from it, it will be greatly appreciated." He answered, stepping awkwardly over a tree limb on the ground. An uncomfortable silence followed Larry's warnings and Charlie drove himself back into his thoughts.

He knew what look Larry was talking about, Don had pointed it out many times in the past when Charlie would be thinking about his math at dinner, or a bully during class. The thought of Don caused him to frown. He'd forgotten about the fight they had up until now.

"Shouldn't we be dropping bread crumbs or tying little knots on tree trunks?" Larry asked, startling Charlie. They had been walking for about a half hour and Charlie didn't even think about what would happen if they got lost. With a little bit of worry in his mind, he pulled out his cell phone and wasn't surprised to see there was no reception.

"I'm sure if we just keep walking straight, we won't get lost." He said, putting his cell phone back into his pocket and taking a quick rest against a tree. Larry stopped too, but he was far from tired. His eyes gleamed and Charlie had to smile, Larry was having fun. "Think it would be a good experience to get lost, huh?" Charlie asked, looking up and covering his eyes against the harsh glare of the sun through the leaves.

"A good experience? No, but it surely would not be boring." Larry answered, smiling back.

"Maybe we'll come back and get lost tomorrow. As for right now, I think we'd better stay on track Mr. Adventure." Charlie chuckled, liking the sound of the name. "That's it. That will be your _forest _name: Mr. Chet Adventure." Larry only looked confused.

"Chet?" He asked, resuming walking with Charlie close at his back.

"Catchy," Charlie replied, finding his way up to be next to Larry.

"I think I'll continue calling you your name, if you don't mind." Larry feigned seriousness, but Charlie only laughed and patted him on the back. "I'll race you to that tree up there." He said, pointing wildly into the distance and leaping into a fast paced jog through the forest.

"Which one?" Larry asked, pushing forward in a hesitative run, unsure of where he was going. Charlie weaved through trees and weeds, jumping over even the smallest branches.

"That one!" He shouted in answer, already a great deal ahead of his friend. He laughed, wondering how long it would take Larry to realize that there was no goal to their running. Suddenly Charlie took a bed step and hooked his foot under a tree root. The world jumped from under him and he went face first into the ground. He would've been embarrassed if not for what caught his eyes.

In front of him was a large pool of blood. Most of it was dried up and caked all over the grass, but some of it still was fresh looking. He quickly pushed himself onto his knees and then completely up. Larry caught up then.

"This tree?" He asked, out of breath. He paled when his eyes dropped to the blood. For about five minutes, the sounds of birds and the wind through the trees dominated.

"Maybe it's deer blood," Larry spoke up, not taking his eyes off of it, but scratching the back of his head in contemplation.

"What's big enough to kill a deer?" Charlie asked, trying not to be frightened.

"A bear," Larry replied. Another long silence. Charlie couldn't help but think of what his father's latest girlfriend had said. "I don't think a bear will attack us unless we bother it." He said, catching Charlie's distressed look.

"You're thinking of bees," Charlie corrected, walking around the blood and wiping the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve. Maybe he shouldn't of dressed so heavily. He wore a dark gray hoody and jeans, while Larry wore a pair of worn brown pants with a button up short-sleeved shirt. Though, he figured it was alright to discard the sweatshirt if necessary.

"Er..." Larry mumbled, following Charlie around the blood. "Then maybe it's more afraid of us then we are of it?"

"I think that's goes for mostly everything _but _bears and I seriously doubt that a 400 pound animal with razor sharp claws is going to be afraid of two mathematicians walking through the wilderness." Charlie said, walking away and trying to forget what they had seen. He wanted so bad to just not have to worry about anything.

"Maybe that's so, but I read in a magazine once that bears are attracted by food, Charles." Larry said, proud of his knowledge and holding up a finger while making his point. Charlie didn't look back, but kept walking. Larry stayed about four or five feet behind the younger man.

"Yes, but wouldn't you say a bear would have a spectacular time eating us... for food?" Charlie almost shouted the last part out and quickened his pace. The silence from earlier came back and their conversation ceased. The sun was now high in the sky as they walked on. The brisk morning air was gone and in its place was a noon-day heat that forced Charlie to remove his sweatshirt and stuff it into his bag. He was wearing a navy blue tee shirt under it.

Larry had caught up by now, and another ten minutes passed before anyone hazard to talk.

"I'd assume we'd be pretty boney..." Larry mused, bringing a hand up to his chin.

"What?" Charlie asked, caught off guard by his friend's words. He couldn't still be talking about their previous subject, could he? Whatever Larry was talking about was silenced as they came to an enormous river. The water was shallow and quick. It sparkled with cleanliness and Charlie could see fish swimming in place. It was something out of a movie, or magazine... a dream. "I bet ya' if we go a little way down we can find a good place to go swimming." Charlie stated with excitement in his voice. He looked to the left and then to the right, trying to think of which way may lead to a deeper area.

"Swimming?" Larry asked, following Charlie as the younger man took the left - the way the water was flowing. "I don't think we discussed swimming when we were planning on coming here." He said, but Charlie knew that Larry just didn't like the idea of getting into the freezing water. 

"Just because it wasn't in the package doesn't mean we can't do it." Charlie chuckled but stopped quickly, his smile fading. Larry almost ran into him, but stopped just short of his back.

"Something wrong?" His friend asked, taking a step to his side to get a good look at Charlie's face. Charlie only gazed at the sky knowing that it would only take a few seconds for Larry to also notice the dark clouds appearing all over. Rain was coming. It normally would not have bothered Charlie so much, but being in a strange place was unnerving. Adding thunder and lightning to the plan wouldn't help at all. He heard Larry take a deep breath from beside him and assumed that the older man had spotted what he was looking at. "Today is just not our day," He said plainly while scratching at the back of his head.

Charlie kept his mouth shut. He didn't know what to say so he stood biting the side of his cheek. He could only hope that the storm would blow right over them. "Maybe it will pass," He said, beginning a slow walk. Charlie sensed Larry's nod and heard his friend start walking too.

They barely got a quarter mile down the river when the rain started to come down hard. They were soaked in a matter of seconds.

"I've never seen it rain so much!" He shouted to Larry, his voice being drown out in the sudden gusts of furious winds. He put a protective arm up to shield his eyes from the painful drops of rain and looked to the river. "We have to get away from the river!" He added, hoping Larry would be able to hear him. The water was already becoming murky and less like the dream he'd seen earlier.

Charlie made a hard left into the woods and looked back to make sure his friend was following. He was and Larry had an understanding look on his face. _Good, _Charlie thought. _Larry heard me._

He wasn't sure how long they'd been walking, and he didn't care. His whole body trembled with cold and he wrapped his arms tight around himself. The temperature had dropped drastically and he would dig through his bag for the sweatshirt he had discarded earlier, but his fingers were numb with cold. He continued on though, slightly ahead of Larry, but not too far. The world was quiet to him, no noises of birds or even the pounding rain. His cold body barely registered that he was still moving.

The ground under his feet was squishy and slippery and he slipped on more than a few occasions, but again his feet moved without his mind as if they were separate. The mood around him seemed to change for a second. Larry was saying something, he was sure of it, but he ignored him. A hand grasped on his shoulder tightly, but before he could react, the ground fell away from in front of him. In that instant, the world was un-muted and Larry's desperate cry filled his ears.

The ground in front of him was a slope, a mountain and Larry was tumbling down it. Where had it come from? How did Larry manage to get in front of him? The ground again slipped from under him causing his body to tip back. He hit the ground but shot up in an instant, but it was too late. Larry hit the ground and lay motionless on an earthy bed of leaves and mud. He didn't waste a moment and started to slide quickly down the hill toward his friend.

His hand slid over rocks and pointy sticks, but he ignored the sensation. Finally he reached the bottom which had only been twenty feet away, but Charlie was sure Larry was badly hurt. After all, twenty feet was a lot to fall.

"Larry," He called in a short whisper, afraid to touch him. His hands trembled as he held them in place. "I'm so sorry." He choked out, not sure if he was crying or if it was the rain. Checking for a pulse and sighing in relief when he found one, Charlie forgot about how cold he was and rested his hand on Larry's shoulder. He still was not sure how Larry had gotten in front of him or even where the dangerous slope of land had come from, but it was obvious that Larry has seen it and tried to stop him. Larry saved his life.

Charlie studied the older man's face, noting the watery blood that started to drip from his hairline. They needed somewhere to duck the rest of the storm out. There were rocks ahead of them, but nothing large enough to shelter them.

"Larry," He whispered, his voice hoarse, but the man did not stir. It was useless. He was on his own for this part and it scared him. Thunder roared through the sky and he stood up. The slope they were in was starting to fill with water! It dripped from all sides and from some parts was coming down in small waterfalls. This was not good. He wasn't sure if he could even get himself up it let alone him _and _Larry.

He brought his hand to wipe some of the water from his eyes and gasped when he saw blood on them. He looked to Larry but saw no wounds on the shoulder that he touched. That could only mean that it was... his blood. He held his hands up so the rain could hit them and felt a painful stinging. _Great._

He walked around the small bowl of land and found what he could only assume was a good place to climb back up. The ground was too slippery and shifty. He knew that the second he managed to carry Larry over to here the ground would just keep sliding out from underneath him. He tested it again, climbing about a quarter of the way up before the ground caved in and he slid on all fours back to the ground. By now he was covered in mud.

A loud rushing noise in the distance filled his ears and he turned to see more water falling from the other side of the slope. There was no way the river could already be that deep, but he couldn't stand by and debate it. Now with the additional water coming in, there was even less time to find a way up. He jogged over to Larry and did his best to left the man over his shoulder.

With a grunt he managed to get over to the side, but fell to his knees there. He wasn't strong enough for this. Unable to give up, he shifted Larry onto the ground and contemplated a better way of holding him. 

"I can't to this!" He shouted out knowing that no one could hear him. It felt good to be able to vent out his frustrations, so with one big breath he screamed. When he was done his throat hurt and his chest heaved, but he felt so much better. Charlie bent down to his friend and pulled Larry's arms over his shoulder so that Larry would be on his back. He crossed Larry's arms and with numb hands dug through his bag for their rope.

Once he found it he tied it around Larry's forearm and stood up. It was hard to move with so much weight and he was forced into a hunched position, but a little hope stabbed at his heart when he took a step and didn't lose his balance. The muddy water swelled around his ankles, but he ignored it. 

He began to climb through the wall, using his hands, knees, feet, and anything else that would help. The rushing across from him became louder and he stole a glance over. From his position he could see that a small river was flowing directly into it. More water gushed over and it began rising faster. Feeling panicked he took a hasty step and fell a few feet back. Dirt dug into his nails as he clung to the wall trying to avoid falling any further.

He wished Don was there. He wished his older brother would come to the rescue just as he had used to do when they were younger, but he knew that there was no Don where he was, so he kept climbing. Hand after hand and foot after foot until finally he was able to grasp the side of the slope. A run-off of water greeted him by slamming into his face.

Charlie sputtered for breath but was unable to keep any grip on the muddy ground. He fell.

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Whoa! Rocked that one out. Go Charlie, we know you have the strength within you! Lol. Again, sorry for how long that was. Reviews and suggestions would be nice! Thanks!


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **The characters from the show numb3rs do not belongith to me…. ith. 

-Just thanking people, sorry if it's in those "no nonsense" people's way!

**Kippling Croft**: _Ha! Let's hope Charlie can find a way out of this –wink- Thanks!   
_**LotRseer3350**: _I'm planning some big things for Charlie, but I can't spoil anything, really! And as for Don… GRR! Can't spoil things. I like "Great work" thank you.  
_**WynterSnow**: _That IS a good mental picture… -drools-  
_**Kado** **shujin** Sara: _Me too, thanks!  
_**reannablue**: _I messed up when I submitted it, that's probably why. I'm glad you still reviewed though, so here's the next chappy just for you! Thanks.  
_**Midnight** **Dove**: _Yeah, Larry has GOT to stop letting Charlie drag him into these things. Lol.  
_**Igiveup**: _Yeah! I know! I'm terrible with Larry speak, but I'm happy you still like it even though it sounds nothing like him.  
_**graceofnight**_: Interesting choice. I like Charlie and Don pretty equal, then Larry. Thanks for the review.  
_**lindzs**_: A lot of wandering through a forest is bound to have some funny parts. Ha, thanks.   
_**Corie**: _Yay! Thanks, I'm not so good coming up with ideas for fics._ _  
_**Angeleyes46**: _Thanks, here have a cookie!_  
**Zhao**: _Woo, thanks so much – I just love these self-esteem boosters.  
_**D.** **Lerious**: _I'm happy you think so.  
_**Alamo** **Girl**: _Ha, at least one person brought that up. Thanks   
_**Gypsy**: _Don't sweat it – Don worry one the way!  
_**Xanthia** **Morgan**: _I'm honored to get a review from you –happy- seriously. I love ALL of_ _your stories. Ahem, sorry. I know, I'm trying to work on the characters, but I'm just never good at keeping them in character. Thanks.   
_**Anneack**: _I forgot! Thanks. I'm trying to cut back on his complaining, there isn't much time for it anyways!_

Thank you all for the reviews! I never posted any stories because I was always so afraid that I would get NO feedback, but this is really touching. Thank you! I don't think I missed anyone, but if I did, I am SO sorry. Tell me and I'll add ya'. Again thanks! __

"It's been a while but all that shit seems to disappear when I'm with you." –Staind

**Into the Woods - Chapter Three **__

"No, no, no," He repeated desperately as he slid back down the now much steeper wall. He desperately willed himself to stop, closing his eyes tight and digging his finger nails an inch deep into the muddy surface. It didn't help much. He whimpered, bowing his head about to give up when his hand caught a rock.

Grabbing it in a vice-like grip and pulled his other arm over and hung there. The way he fell caused Larry to be jostled and just as he came to a halt the older man fell backwards. The ropes tied around his forearms wrapped around Charlie's neck and dug into the sensitive skin. He gasped from the contact but the air never made it in. He was being strangled by the rope.

He shifted in horror trying to relieve some of the pressure but it only made things worse. He had to climb all the way up on one breath and even he knew it just was not possible. Even with his death hanging in the near future, he struggled on. Most of the dirt was being washed away revealing hidden rocks that gave him more of a hold, but now that the dirt was gone there wasn't much of a slope for him.

He would have to manage. He got about two more feet up and tried to breathe in but again was denied. His head spun and he jerked it forward shutting his eyes tightly. Maybe tying Larry on to his back like that wasn't his brightest idea. Not having much other choice, Charlie threw a hand haphazardly upwards and was surprised when it hit the top. He had only taken a few steps up, how could he already be there?

Choosing to not pay any attention to the science, he used what little remaining strength and air he had to hoist both him and Larry to the top. He rolled onto his back and struggled against the ropes. They came loose almost instantly and Charlie breathed in. His damaged lungs choked on the air and he ended up coughing it back out. It took a little while to get his breathing back, but he was glad to have made it.

The river that they had been at earlier was only fifteen to twenty feet away. Charlie wasn't sure how it rose so fast so he just blamed it on the slope. It was a good thing they had gotten out of the hole before it reached them. He shifted over to Larry and checked on him. Everything seemed to be in line, though the roped had caused some damage to the older man's arms. They were a raw red and some areas were scratched open.

He could only imagine what his own neck looked like. With that thought he brought a shaky hand up and rubbed at it gingerly. It burned and the rain only made it worse. They had to find somewhere to wait this out and get warm. Lifting himself up and pulling Larry across his shoulders with strength he never really new he had, Charlie began to walk again.

"I'm going to hurt you when you wake up," He said hoarsely. He new the threat was pointless, but talking to Larry made him feel less alone. "Yeah, no amount of helping me with my brother and anything else will make up for this one Larry." He said slipping on the mud. He caught himself on a tree and stood still for a moment.

His legs wobbled uncontrollably under him. It was the same way he'd felt when he would talk to a large group of people, or even when Don's friends would pick on him. A strong gust of wind blew in and he shivered. His clothing clung to him and his shoes squeaked, but what he saw in the distance made him forget about it.

A rock hanging far out was about a quarter-mile ahead and from what he would see; the ground under it was bone-dry. That was where they could stop. He got a better hold on Larry and started in its direction. There wouldn't be any dry enough wood to make a fire, but at least there wouldn't be any rain hitting against them.

Once he was there he gently laid Larry on the leafy ground. The rock was big enough for him to lay in, both of them actually, so space was not an issue. The problem was how low it was. They could maybe both sit up at the most, but standing was completely out of the question. He took both of there bags and checked the contents. Everything in them was soaked just like they were, but Larry brought a first aid kit with him. Its plastic box covering kept it relatively dry.

He set out to tending to Larry's wounds. The head injury didn't look so bad, but he wasn't a doctor. A lot of hair was obscuring his vision which made it even more difficult. So trying to put the worry out of his mind, he cleaned up Larry's arms instead. Once done with that, he went back to his friend's head. The bleeding had stopped, and Charlie figured that was a good sign.

He dabbed the area with some peroxide to clean it out and checked every other inch of Larry but only found some minor cuts and bruises. With that out of the way he took a minute to finally rest. Leaning his back against the damp rock, he closed his eyes and tried to think clearly. 

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The first thing that Larry realized when he came into awareness was the unusual throbbing in his temples; next was the pain in his back and neck. He shifted slightly and gasped as his muscles burned. The last thing he remembered was the rain… the rain and Charlie's surprised face as he fell.

Opening his eyes he took in the surroundings. He was under a large low hanging rock. The rain still fell outside but it was lighter now. He wasn't sure how he got there but he knew he was in no condition to investigate.

Taking a deep breath he moved his head slightly and gazed behind where he sat. Charlie sat there, lying limply against the wall. There were cuts all across his face and the younger man's neck was scratched up too.

"Charles?" He asked, pulling what little strength he had and sat up. After the first initial dizziness left, he was surprised at how much better he felt. He looked back to Charlie but he hadn't stirred. Reaching a hand out, Larry shook Charlie's shoulder. The motion woke him and Larry sat up a little straighter. The rock above them was pretty low, but it spared enough room for him to sit up all the way.

Charlie lifted his head and smiled lightly. "Hey," Was all he said. His voice sounded weird as if he'd been screaming for hours before. The younger man reached up and moved some of his curly hair out of his eyes.

"What happened?" Larry asked, choosing to lie back down when a wave of dizziness over-took him. "I seem to remember falling…" He trailed off and brought a cold hand up to his forehead.

"It rained," Charlie replied simply, his voice still sounding strained to Larry. "I'd make us a fire, but everything is too wet." He looked down and shuddered. "We're lost. I tried to think of every turn we made, but it's too hard." Larry nodded in answer and hid the fear that swelled up in him.

He was used to hikes but out in the middle of no where with wild animals and no way of getting back was a different story all together. "We'll find our way." He reassured and turned to Charlie when he got no response. The younger man was staring wide-eyed out into the woods.

"Bear," He breathed barely above a whisper.

"Pardon?" Larry asked, looking to where Charlie was. He didn't need the other man to repeat it though because his eyes too landed on the large animal poised about fifty feet away. Its nose was in the dirt as it walked slowly sniffing.

The bear suddenly turned and started heading for them. Larry didn't make a sound; he didn't even breathe, though he wasn't sure if he could. He could feel Charlie tense up behind him as the bear looked up, its cold black eyes scanning the area.

Its fur was matted from the rain and the curly tendrils around its paws were covered in a thick layer of mud. It stuck its head in the air and sniffed. They both sat stone still until suddenly a shot rang out in the air. It echoed loudly and the bear roared. It made a feeble attempt at running; its legs not responding well, but before it could make it to safety another shot was fired and it fell to the ground. 

Larry watched and waited for whoever shot the animal to come out, but before he could Charlie grabbed his arm and hauled him up. They ran to the other side of the rock, successfully out of the view of the new arrivals that chose that moment to come walking out. There were two of them. They wore old worn-out jackets and torn brown pants. They both looked to be around their late forties, but he couldn't be sure without letting their presence be known. As they approached the bear, he and Charlie were not able to see them anymore so Larry turned to his friend.

"I'm not sure I am following you. They could show us the way out. They obviously have been here before and know their way around, Charles." Charlie gave him a look of confusion as if he had no idea what Larry had just said. He couldn't help but get frustrated. His idea was their best bet.

"Are you suggesting we approach two armed men? Out in the middle of no where?" He whispered quickly, straining not to raise his voice.

"What else are we going to do, sit here and get eaten?" Larry argued, trying to shake his light-headedness. The whole situation was not helping his headache.

"I suggest we sit here and wait for them to leave." Charlie shot back, biting his nails with nervousness. Larry just couldn't see where Charlie was coming from. They were lost, and here were two people that could help them. Obviously his own wisdom outmatched his friend's. Instead of talking to Charlie, he poked out from behind the rock.

"Umm… excuse me?" He shouted out to get their attention. Before the one man even looked up, he brought his rifle up and fired. Fortunately, Charlie pulled Larry back behind the rock just in time.

"What were you thinking?" He shouted, unable to mask his outrage.

"It could have possibly been an accident," Larry whispered timidly, he rarely heard Charlie shout like that. Another shot and a chunk of rock flew out. Larry winced.

"What do we do?" Charlie started mumbling repeatedly. This time he understood. If they ran, they would be shot, if they stayed there they would also be shot, and well… turning themselves in didn't seem like a great option at that point considering -

"We'll be shot," Larry said, putting his back against the rock. Charlie shot him an incredulous look as if saying 'No duh!"

"We have to make a break for it," His friend said, searching the area for somewhere to run. This time it was Larry's turn to be angry.

"They have guns! What do you propose Charles; we outrun a bullet hurtling at us at 1500 meters per second?" He threw his hands up.

"Maybe they'll miss. If we stay here, they'll shoot us from four feet away, but from 100 there is a greater chance of missing." Charlie suggested, still looking for somewhere to go.

"They didn't miss the bear," Larry said dryly, but he did see the logic in what Charlie had said.

"Ah yes, but the bear was hardly moving. And we know to hide behind trees. We'll split up so it's harder for them to get us." Even before Charlie finished, Larry shook his head. He wasn't sure he could outrun _anything _the way he was feeling, but a snap of a twig behind them startled Charlie into motion. He ran left faster than Larry had ever seen him go.

Knowing it was useless to stay there, he ran right. His first goal was a rather large tree not far away. He ducked behind the smaller ones and blanched when he heard the first shot. He wasn't sure who it was directed at, but it terrified him that these people were _still _shooting. He was about to look for Charlie, but decided against it.

He was almost to the big tree when there was a shout and another shot from not too far behind him. Something hit the tree next to him and he rocketed himself behind a small tree. Breathing was difficult and the objects in front of him all swirled into a mess. He couldn't do this.

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Don walked into his little brother's house feeling a little better than he did a few days before. He and Charlie had gotten into another fight and just like all of the other ones two or three days later he realized that he was wrong. It was a little before dinner time as he entered the house and walked into the kitchen. His father was sitting at the table nursing a cup of tea while talking to the bird. He kept repeating the same word in hopes that the bird would pick up.

"Alan," He sounded out, leaning in as the bird looked away. "Aaaalahn." He said again, a frustrated look appearing on his face. Don couldn't help but laugh. His father looked up, but instead of looking happy, a nervous look flowed through his features. He turned back to the bird.

"Hey dad, I just came by to talk to Charlie, is he around?" He asked, trying to ignore his father's strange behavior.

"He's… he's out with Larry," He said, getting up and taking his cold tea to the sink and dumping it out.

"Any idea when he's coming back? It's kind of important." Don said slowly, not sure what was going on.

"I don't think he's coming back for about a week," Alan said, avoiding his eyes.

"A week? Were did he go?" Don asked, taking a seat; sensing that it was going to take a while. His father put his cup down and sat down also. The fan on above their heads made a strange creaky noise, another thing for Charlie to fix. After a few minutes, Alan talked.

"He went on some group hike up in Oregon. He'd been planning it for the weekend and tied up all of his things for school, then he left." Alan said quietly. Don looked down. Sometimes he forgot that his brother has a life of his own – even if it was quite small.

"And…?" Don asked, knowing that his father was acting weird for a reason.

"He was supposed to call right when he got there, but he hasn't yet." Alan sighed. "He should've gotten there last night Don, what if something happened?" Don tried to act compassionate, but on the inside his rage boiled. How could Charlie make their father worry like that? He could just see Charlie having the time of his life while his dad sat in the kitchen almost sick with worry.

"Don't even worry; it's just like Charlie to forget something like that."

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Oh boy, trouble is on the horizon. You think Don will realize something is up before it's too late? I sure hope so. Ha. Please review! It helps me, really. Suggestions or just… anything. I don't care! REVIEW!


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: They weren't mine three chapters ago; what makes you think they're mine now? I fear change… **

I am so sorry. Curse me and my inability to describe landscape. Really.

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Charlie ran behind the largest tree he could find and fumbled through his bag for his cell phone. In all of the mess he had somehow forgotten it. Two shots were already fired, though he wasn't sure at whom, it was pretty safe to say that it wasn't any less terrifying. His heart was pumping a mile a minute causing the edges of his vision to darken dangerously.

He finally located his cell phone and yanked it out with trembling fingers. At least all of the action had made him a little warmer. His heart fell when he saw that there was no reception. He didn't know what he was expecting; after all they hadn't been able to use their phones since they entered the woods. A shout from fairly far off spurred him back into motion.

He ran as fast as he could, finally thankful for all of the bike riding he did. It made his legs strong, but they still felt wobbly. In all of his life he had never thought that he would be in a situation like this. Even with his brother's job the way it was, he always thought that he would be safe. He ducked behind another tree and tried to catch his breath, but movement from his right caught his attention.

He whipped his head around and saw three more men. They were similarly dressed as the others, which scared him. There were more of them. One was pointing in the direction that Larry had run off in. Another one was gazing around. Charlie slowly moved to the other side of the tree to keep from their view. He pressed his back against the trunk. He knew he would have to run again, but he tried to postpone it for as long as possible.

When the voices behind him got quiet for a minute, he nervously peered from his post. His head poked out and instantly he met the eyes of one of the men. The others were gone, but sure enough the man that remained started shouting and pointing. Not waiting to see how many of the guys were chasing him now, he leapt over a few fallen branches and made a break for a bunch of thick bushes. The shouts behind him became more frantic and suddenly another shot was fired. 

He got to the bushes and jumped clear over them only to find a huge rocky cliff right where was going to land. It was thin, like at one point a waterfall flowed down it and it led to another woodland area. There was no possible way to slow himself so he shut his eyes and waited for the pain. His shoulders bumped into the sides and then the ground hit him hard. Unable to keep upright, he fell backwards. He didn't have time to stay; he knew the guys were still up there.

He cast a glance behind him and saw that there was a small indent in the rock. Forcing himself up, he slid clumsily into the hiding place and tucked his legs in as best he could. He looked ahead to see if there was anywhere else to run when his eyes landed on his cell phone. It must have fallen when he landed on the ground. He almost went to get it but the voices stopped him. They were loud and close. Much closer than they ever were before, but still Charlie couldn't make out one word. He pushed himself as flat as possible against the rock and hoped that they would mistake his jet-black cell phone for a stone.

While waiting, his mind turned over anything and everything that could possibly happen if he were captured. They'd probably kill him right away. Charlie shut his eyes when he remembered his last encounter with Don. He never even got to say goodbye. His older brother wasn't here to help him through this. His stomach tightened; he remembered the feeling perfectly from when his mother had passed away. It was when he realized all of the things that he would miss about his mother: the way she would come into his room sometimes at night and watch him protectively, the way she was always so proud; the way she always listened even though she had no idea what he was talking about.

He was so caught up in his thoughts, he hardly registered that the voices were disappearing. He almost laughed, but stopped himself just in time – they were still in hearing distance. Just before they completely faded, a loud ring caused Charlie to jump. It was so familiar. His cell phone! He just about dove for it, but again restrained himself as the voices got louder. They were coming back. With speed and desperation he never knew was in him, he leapt for the phone and crawled back into his hiding space while answering it.

A garbled voice was all he got. It was so disoriented that and it took Charlie a second to even hear his own name. He looked down at the caller I.D. quickly and rejoiced when he saw his brother's name.

"Don?" He whispered, hoping his own voice would carry over to his older brother better than his was. Don answered him, or at least he thought Don answered him. It kept cutting off on the end of every word. He knew he didn't have much time, so he interrupted Don's lengthy answer. "Don, please! Please you have to help me. These men, they're – "

A loud bang shattered any hope of talking as the bullet hit the ground right next to his foot. He cried out despite himself and yanked his foot as far in as possible. Spurred on by fear, he grabbed his bag and ran again. This time more shots were fired; his horrified mind couldn't keep up with how many there were. Pain exploded in his upper arm, but he kept going, not even faltering slightly. The adrenaline masked his pain, and for right now he was glad.

Instead of hiding behind trees and waiting Charlie just kept running. He wasn't sure why, but he wasn't tiring out – or maybe he couldn't tell. Back when he was younger, he and Don would sometimes play catch out front of the house. It was so rare that they did it that he would always mask how tired he would get. Every time Don would ask, "You ready to go in?" He would answer with a curt no or shake his head. By the time Don would say he was tired and go in, Charlie would be too exhausted to even move from the spot he was standing in.

With that thought, he pulled the cell phone back up to his ear. It was extremely hard to hold it there because of how fast he was running so he quickly ducked behind a tree.

"Don?" He hissed into the phone and his breath hitched when there was no response. The line was dead and there was no reception anymore, but at least now he had a little sliver of hope to hold onto – hope that Don had either heard his plea for help, or the gunshots… or both. Which ever one got his brother there faster would be the one he wanted.

Unable to catch his breath, he took a step to the side and bent down with his hands on his knees. A sudden drowsy mist clouding his mind, he let his head drop down but flew backwards in horror when he came face to face with the barrel of a gun. It wasn't one of those tiny silver ones either – this one was full on blow your torso clean off with one shot. What if his attacker's finger slipped? Would he be alive long enough to even decipher what happened?

He backed up and hit right into someone. Too afraid to turn fully around, he looked over his shoulder and saw three men. Where were they coming from? Did they live here? Charlie clenched his teeth together and looked back to the guy with the gun.

"I was just hiking," He reasoned, not bringing up Larry. The gunman looked over Charlie's shoulder and said something in that same language he heard earlier. The men behind him started laughing, he was sure of that; laughing was universal. The man said something else with a grin on his face and jabbed Charlie in the abdomen with his gun. He grabbed it protectively and would have been embarrassed as they all began laughing even harder, but he was too scared to even blink.

Just when he was starting to think they were laughing because they realized that this was all just one _big _misunderstanding, the gunman went rigid and instantly serious. He barked something at the men behind him; they stepped forward and pulled his arms behind his back. They bound him quickly like they had done it before. The man behind him said something with a laugh and Charlie could just think of what it was.

"_I've done this so many times I could do it with my eyes closed!" _Or, _"Looks like we're going to have a good dinner tonight!"_

The man in front of him only grunted and gestured for Charlie to start walking, or at least that's what he thought because the second he started to move the gun hit him hard on the side of his face. With his arms tied behind his back, it was hard to keep balance and he ended up falling down. The men all laughed this time and one took the liberty of kicking him in the side. He gasped and wanted nothing more then to shield himself with his arms, but that was why he was on the ground in the first place.

One of the men bent down, grabbed his forearm and yanked him up. Again, the gunman gestured, but this time Charlie understood. He had walked in the wrong way the first time. He wasn't sure if what was tickling down his face was rain, sweat or blood, but he wanted desperately to wipe it away. He didn't realize how much he used his hands until that moment.

He felt a lot more nervous with the gun behind him. It was weird, now that he couldn't see the threat; he thought it would hurt more. Maybe because surprise was added in, but really he already went over how he'd probably be dead before he even knew what happened. And still, after all the time that it took to get moving, he felt terribly tired. Maybe now that all of the adrenaline was wearing off he was beginning to feel the exhaustion underneath. He doubted that was it. 

One man on his side began speaking to him, or at least he thought so. He said something with a grin, reached out and took Charlie's forearm in a tight grip. Just when Charlie was starting to think that he was the only sane one in the bunch, the man pulled his other arm out and pulled a small dart off of his arm. Inside it was still half filled with some green liquid.

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Don had decided to stay with his father for that day. They played a few games but they all ended up with them talking about how good or bad his little brother was at them. He hadn't realized how attached his father had grown to Charlie. It didn't take a genius to know that Alan enjoyed his company more when they were younger, but now… after all of these years-

"Maybe I should try his cell again," Alan said as they both sat at the dining room table. There were ashes on the table, but Don decided not to ask about it.

"Let me try," He suggested, digging through his jacket that was hanging on the back of his chair for his cell. If Charlie picked up, he was going to leave the room. He didn't want his father to hear him yelling at Charlie, but he knew he had too. His dad had enough to worry about without him running off to some forest hike thing so far away.

He pushed the speed dial button and pressed the phone to his ear. His father had tried to call Charlie numerous times before and had gotten no pick up at all, so he was very surprised to hear the phone get answered when he called. Before his brother could say a word he began.

"We've been trying to call you for hours Charlie!" He shouted into the phone. He heard Alan sigh in relief behind him. He guessed that his dad was so happy that Charlie was alive that he took no notice to Don's harsh tone.

"Don?" The voice on the other end asked slightly unsure. It didn't sound like his baby brother at all. Well, that wasn't true. It sounded like those times that Charlie would come into his room when they were younger and say he had a bad dream. Don never took notice that normal kids would've gone to their parent's room, but of course Charlie wasn't normal and Don had made sure that he knew that.

"What's wrong? Did you finally realize what you've been putting Dad through? I'm serious Charlie, he's really-" Don was cut off when the voice started rambling more frantically. The reception was terrible but he could still make out some words.

"Please… help me… men," But before there was more, a loud bang rang through the phone. It was so loud that Don had to bring his ear away from the receiver, but he didn't keep it there for any longer than needed. Something was wrong with Charlie. Leave it to his kid brother to get into trouble wherever he goes.

"Charlie! Charlie what's wrong? What men?" Don asked into the phone, pacing through the dinning room.

"What's wrong? Donnie, what's happening?" Alan asked, getting up from his chair and making his way over. There was a lot of commotion on the other end of the phone, but what scared Don the most was the bangs. They were gun shots; years of experience taught him that, but he still had no idea what was happening.

"Charlie! Hey! Answer me!" He tried again, hoping that this was a mistake. He couldn't imagine any excuse that would make up for this scare. _Oh Don, sorry. Larry and I were hunting! Can you believe it? Me… hunting." _Then his brother would laugh and apologize and tell him that whatever he was thinking was so wrong. They would laugh about it later too.

He was about to scream into the phone again, but before he could it cut off. Don stood rooted to the spot; unable to move. He still held the phone to his face and tried to block his father's voice out. For some reason, all of his training escaped him. No matter how hard he tried, everything he was taught to do in this type of situation was slipping right out of his hands. He stood mainly because he didn't know what else to do.

"Something's wrong."

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Sorry guys! This got so boring! Uhg. I got a review a little earlier :D Someone begging me to continue, so… I looked through my folder and it turns out that I actually already wrote this chapter. I just never posted it. It's not my best, but I would love to hear what you guys think.

I really don't watch numbers anymore. I used to have hoped that it wasn't another plain old crime drama. You know, it had family! Love… BROTHERS. But… oh well.


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